Does your church value you as an asset?NACBA via Religion News Service Share So many rules so little time. All too often procedures to ensure the human assets of a church are overlooked due to time and understanding of the laws that govern human resources. NACBA's
National Church Administration Day (NCAD) is a way to improve your churches awareness of "Human Resources - Your Church's Valued Assets". This year's national day event will take place on Oct. 20. NACBA has partnered with several authoritative and distinguished resources to bring the most up-to-date information to its chapters and the communities in which they serve. More

Amazing Play Sculptures Begin with Large Blocks of FoamWhile no one at PLAYTIME claims to be the next Michelangelo, you can't blame the company for comparing sculptures made of marble with the ones they carve. But these works of art are not meant to just be admired. No, they're meant
to be climbed, played with and jumped on. MORE

5 ways established churches should think like plantsThe Gospel Coalition Share The author of this article admits he has no significant church planting experience. Though quite young by New England standards, the church he serves is established. It began a little more than 35 years ago when several young adults caught a vision for reaching the MetroWest suburbs of Boston. They now enjoy many of the benefits common to established churches: nice
facility, stable financial base, variety of ministries, and breadth of generational wisdom and participation. But there are several key values established churches can and should glean from those just getting started.More

How to use social media effectively in the churchChurchLeaders.com Share “We need to get...!” is a rallying cry many Churches make. When a new thing comes out and a Church sees another using it successfully, it’s not uncommon for a Church to follow along.
Calvin Koepke recently wrote about the Church and social media. He wrote about its effectiveness: So is social media effective for a Church? It can be, but in most cases, it probably isn’t. The shocking reality is that I bet most Churches know that their Facebook page isn’t producing anything, that is, except an image.More

Choosing the Best Data Security PartnerData security is crucial in today’s ministry and choosing a data security partner may seem like a daunting task. To help, ACS Technologies has developed How Secure Is Your Vital Information. It covers choosing a partner that understands ministry and answers churches’ most
frequently asked data security questions. more

Church ministers with pumpkinsShelby County Reporter Share Every year in late September, rows and rows of bright orange globes seemingly sprout from the grounds of one of Alabaster, Ala.’s, oldest churches, marking the beginning of a longtime community tradition. As cooler temperatures blanket the area, members of the First Presbyterian Church of Alabaster welcome fall by surrounding the southern and western side of their church building with thousands of pumpkins of nearly every
shape and size imaginable. “I’ve been here for eight years now, and it was something that had been going for a long time when I got here,” said church pastor Rev. Mark Davenport. “It’s something we do every year to provide specific aid to someone in need.”More

God's cure for declining churchesWesleyan Life Share In his book Taking Your Church to the Next Level, Gary McIntosh reveals that churches tend to follow a very predictable pattern of birth, plateau, decline, and death. Research shows that if a
church reaches the age of 80 years before expiration, it has lived a very long life. Exceptional churches reach the century mark before dying, and a few extraordinary churches live beyond 100 years. The bad news is that all organisms birthed eventually die. However, the good news is that churches don’t have to die, regardless their age. If intervention can happen soon enough, declining churches can avoid extinction through revitalization.More

Simple tips for improving access and safety for elderly adultsChurchSafety.com Share Older adults have a wealth of spiritual gifts, experience, and wisdom to offer others, but physical barriers or poor health can restrict them from participating in church activities. Senior citizens' greatest frustrations with sanctuaries, arenas, and other facilities that accommodate large crowds are often related to a lack of accessible seating, the need to negotiate stairs, and even the distance from the entrance to the seating.
Here are some ideas you can use to improve your ministry's accessibility and responsiveness to seniors' safety needs.
More

Tennessee hospital teams up with churches to deliver health care servicesGant Daily Share Two mainstays of the Memphis, Tenn., community — the Methodist Le Bonheur hospital system and nearly 400 local churches — have teamed up for an innovative program that helps keep church members healthy while reducing health care costs. If not actually made in heaven, it’s a match that has significantly benefited all parties. Other health care systems are taking note.More

Child-friendly or child-proof?Worship Facilities Share No matter what type of facility you are building – or modifying --- there are always general design factors to take into account. However, when that facility’s main purpose is to house children, there are a number of additional elements that must be considered not only to help make the building comfortable and efficient, but to follow codes and regulations developed specifically to protect children. As with any
large-scale project, churches embarking on the renovation or new construction of a daycare or school facility, or both, must do their homework up front to achieve the results they desire.More

Care for the ministerWorld and Way Share During Minister Appreciation Month, congregations are reminded that ministers need the same things parishioners need -- encouragement, advocacy, from time to time sympathy, periodic breaks from responsibilities at church, security and relief from excessive worry. Some of these needs can be met simply by a kind word regularly offered, some by genuine friendship and others by a listening ear. These actions don't necessarily carry a
financial price tag but they require parishioners and peers who care, are attentive and make themselves available. However, appropriate care of ministers, their families and other church staff members will also require a financial investment that usually includes salary considerations, protection, retirement, and personal and professional renewal. More

Got blessings? Pass the money testThe Christian Post Share The national unemployment rate is 9 percent. Many people are upside down in houses they cannot afford, and gas prices and grocery bills keep climbing. We are watching our investments disappear and our
retirement savings dwindle, and the pink slips keep rolling in. So this is a lousy time to talk about finances, right? Wrong. It has never been more important for us to examine whether we are managing our finances with biblical perspective.More

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The sociology of Sunday schoolAssociated Baptist Press Share For at least two centuries, Sunday school was one of the great Protestant experiments in “religious conversation.” Although Puritans, Moravians and Methodists organized various “classes” for Bible study and fellowship in the early 18th century, Sunday school as a movement dates from the 1780s, centered in the effort of Robert Raikes to offer basic education to the children of chimney sweeps in Gloucester,
England.More

Encourage your pastor on Minister Appreciation DayBaptist Press Share They chatted, teary-eyed, about the enormous encouragement of Minister Appreciation Day each October. The pastor and his wife said, "They really go all-out!" Over the years, their church's thoughtfully prepared gifts had included a gift card to a fancy restaurant, a personalized gift basket, a two-night stay at a state park, and golf at a nice course. Last year, they were blown away when the church surprised him with his dream
recliner. It doesn't take a lot of effort to say "thank you." Will your church put thought and action into acknowledging the pastor and ministry staff God has given you? Need fresh ideas? Try one of these.More

Pastors fight IRS ban on endorsing candidatesThe
Tennessean Share For the past four years, pastors around the country have tried to pick a fight with the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS has refused to fight back. The pastors are challenging an IRS ban on endorsing candidates from the pulpit, which is based on rules that forbid nonprofits from taking part in political
campaigns. Preachers say the ban violates their rights to free speech and freedom of religion.More

With free wedding, church removes a hitch to getting hitchedLos Angeles Times Share Mike Goldsworthy , pastor at Parkcrest Christian Church in Long Beach, Calif., announced during his sermon two weeks ago that the church would throw a free
wedding and reception for any unmarried couples in the congregation who were living together. "If your only barrier is the cost of a wedding, we will remove that," he said.More